


Step Forward

by xantissa



Series: Carnival of Rust [24]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Augment's plotting, Gen, M/M, Please Don't Kill Me, Plot, this thing is turning into a spy novel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-28 20:12:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3868258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xantissa/pseuds/xantissa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that Khan is back from the crash, he needs to debrief his people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Step Forward

**Author's Note:**

> 30-04-2015
> 
> So... it's not only developing, the fic is downright eloping on me.

“What a lovely place for a briefing,” Turin commented as he squeezed his large frame into the narrow passageway and popped like a cork at the end. 

It was not really a room, just a space between layers of ship insulation that was used for connecting huge cable wreaths. The curve of one wall meant that instead of a very small crawlspace it was roomy, an excellent meeting space. And as it wasn’t actually a cabin or functional space, it had absolutely no monitoring equipment installed.

Katya had found it during Khan’s absence and had started equipping it with things she managed to lift from the new supplies for the Enterprise. Turin had tried to help by hacking every order log he could find, but he had to admit hacking wasn’t his forte.

With a sigh he sat down on one of the small crates that served them as stools. He used his foot to move some random electronic part and waited for the others to file in.

Katya, being the smallest and slimmest of them all walked easily in and took her usual place, while Khan shook some insulation fibers from his hair irritably. Turin smirked at the man, his fastidiousness always a point of amusement.

“This place is completely off the grid, no monitoring equipment of any kind. We can talk safely here,” Katya said, not really looking at either man.

“Exactly, though it would be best to spend as little time here as possible. So far the crew of Enterprise isn’t aware of this little hideout and it would be best if we kept it that way,” Khan summarised as he took his seat. 

Turin did what he could to sprawl in his little corner, his limbs spreading and taking over any available space, even encroaching into Katya’s personal space. Meanwhile Khan sat straight backed and perfectly formal, as proud as if he was sitting on a throne. It was so damn effortless for him, Turin thought, so easy to just be a leader. It always made Turin feel that warm flutter in his stomach that signalled a decision well made.

Years ago, in a bright and sterile lab cell, he had looked into pale grey eyes of a teenaged boy half his size and chose to follow him. Believed that his simple idea was maybe the most brilliant of all. So many years later there still wasn’t even a flicker of doubt in him.

“It’s the last hour of the night shift. Even those working are barely awake, and all ranking officers are asleep. We have time before it’s noticed we are all gone.”

Khan nodded. “Let’s begin then,” signaling that official part of briefing was starting. “What happened while I was gone? Katya, begin.”

The red haired woman straightened a little in her seat.

“I have a good sense of the ship now and its capabilities. I studied the previous supply records very extensively and am confident I will notice if anything is amiss in cargo manifests. I made sure to work as much as possible with their Chief Engineer Mr. Scott. He seems to like me even though I am not really qualified. He is an extremely brilliant man, very honest and with an acute sense of right and wrong. Did you know he refused to take part in the mission to apprehend you on Quo’nos? Sadly his genius is directed almost exclusively towards his work. He is unaware that at least two of the repair crew are here primarily to spy on the vessel and its crew. So far I managed to divert them towards work on the outside of the hull. Your choice to send a female to work with Mr. Scott was very insightful. Logically he knows I am augmented, but emotionally he still feels the need to protect me. It was easy to make him dislike the suspected individuals because of their behavior towards me.” Katya reported calmly.

“You seem to like the man. Have you started a sexual relationship with him yet?” Khan asked, watching her closely.

Katya closed her eyes for a moment, her face perfectly composed before she opened them and looked fearlessly at her leader.

“No.” She broke the eye contact for a second, looking down before looking back. “And if my personal preferences matter here, I would not like to.”

For a few long heartbeats Khan studied her, his face expressing nothing. This was the man who managed to devise a brilliant plan at age fifteen, a plan that survived over three hundred and fifty years untouched. Even now, after all the tragedy he’d endured , they’d endured, all the basic parts of his plan were still falling into place nicely. When it came to the big picture, there was absolutely no one better than this man and whatever he decided Katya would do, because it was about much more than her alone.

“It’s not necessary yet. If you can manage those two spies you have identified without it, I leave it to your judgement. Just make sure to keep the option open.”

She nodded, thankful.

“Communications?” Khan prompted.

She rose from her seat and moved to the wall behind her where a few black crates were stacked together and secured. With a few precise movements she opened the front panel, revealing the innards of an obviously self-made device.

“Up and running. I went as analog as possible, because it looks like nobody now even knows what analog is, not to mention ever scanning for it. I used short range radio signals to get to old Earth transmitters. There is an interface that allows us to access the current global network. I did as much encryption as I could, but it’s not something I excel at. It would be good if you could go over my work and check it. However we now have an independent means of communications. If we figure how to hide our presence, we can start combing the Internet for traces of Vincent. From what I read, it seems that human’s built over the old Internet structures so the old data is still somewhere in there.”

“I will figure out a schedule that let’s me come here to work without being noticed. I will inform you when I’m done and we will start search programs. Very good work, Katya. Thank you.”

Katya closed the panel and came back to her seat, done with her part of the duties.

“Ao?”

The blond straightened from his slouch a little.

“As usual boss, you were right. One of the officers is actually a mole.”

Khan raised his eyebrows, silently urging him to continue.

“Pavel Chekov.”

Khan’s brows climbed even higher.

“That is a surprise. I was thinking Uhura or Sulu. I didn’t seriously consider that young man an option, he never struck me as someone capable of long term covert action like this.”

Turin sighed.

“They are coercing him. The poor guy tries to do as little as possible, but really doesn’t have a choice in the matter.”

“Do you know what they have on him?”

“Apparently the young prodigy has an older sister. A kind of free spirit. She dropped out of school at fifteen, effectively ran away from home and started travelling the Earth first, then other planets. On one of them she got into trouble. Got charged with smuggling drugs. Don’t know if it’s true or not, but what is true is that on that planet it’s an offence that is punishable by death,” Turin reported.

“And let me gues. Starfleet Command had her removed from the prison upon the condition that Mr. Chekov switched his loyalty?”

“Yep,” Ao confirmed. “It was awfully convenient timing. His sister got into trouble exactly four days after Kirk started making noises about taking you under his command.”

Khan furrowed his brows, something not quite adding up.

“That’s…uncommonly efficient for human government, a reaction quite that fast.”

“Makes you wonder just why they have Chekov’s family under such close scrutiny.”

The dark haired augment got up and started pacing, his hands crossed over the small of his back. 

“Keep that in mind for the future. Did you manage to get close to him?”

Ao rolled his eyes. “Although this is not my kind of operation I did, in fact manage it. After all who could resists this?” he asked, indicating the breadth of his chest. “We started having sex not a week after you left for that disastrous ‘medical assessment thing’” Ao shifted again, uncomfortable now. He’d never actually had to seduce anyone, or been part of any espionage missions at all.

“I could smell his interest in both sexes before, and his frustration, so it wasn’t a problem getting him into bed. He was part of this crew from a very young age, and that also means almost nobody here actually sees him as an adult, or even considers a sexual relationship with him. Being the youngest officer in history also doesn’t help things.”

“I imagine it must be severely frustrating.” Khan interjected, grimacing a bit.

“Putting it mildly.” Ao agreed. “So far I managed to slip him enough information to have something to report, but it’s of no consequences to us.”

“Are you capable of controlling him?”

The blond grimaced again, and ran his hand through his hair.

“I’m not sure. He really is a prodigy, exceptionally intelligent, strong and also very intuitive. As long as I don’t act against the crew of the Enterprise, his relative lack of experience with relationships will work in my favor. He is the most unwilling spy I have ever met. The moment I try to push things further I assume I would meet with serious resistance.”

“Control by force?” 

“I wouldn't even want to try. As you said so charmingly before, I am a blunt instrument not a scalpel. I could seriously damage him by just attempting manipulation. I don’t think it’s a viable option.”

Their leader nodded, not really showing what he felt about that answer.

“Keep covering for his eventual mistakes, also give him just enough information to keep his wranglers happy. I will decide later what to do with him.”

“I think getting his sister out of danger would be the best course of action,” Ao said finally. “First off, I don’t like that it’s his family they are using against him, second it would generate more good will towards us from the Enterprise crew should it became known.”

This time it was Khan that sighed.

“If we only had more people. With just the three of us, there is no one to send.”

“We could tell the Captain.” Katya suggested gently.

“No!” Khan all but snarled, making both of them jump a little. Not only because the sound was so sharp, but because of the sudden emotional bleed. It ended just as suddenly as it began.

“Why?” Turin questioned openly. It wasn’t something forbidden, but neither happened often. Ao Turin was also the one person most likely to get an answer.

The dark haired Augment took two quick strides and then turned back towards the other two.

“James Kirk is struggling to find his balance in a very precarious position right now. Losing trust in his crew at the moment could lead to serious consequences in the future.”

“Well…I can honestly say I never thought I would live to see the day,” drawled Turin. “You are actually protecting the man.”

Khan’s eyes were cold and fierce as they met Ao’s.

“It’s an order. The Captain is to know nothing about it.”

“Easy there, boss. You know my stand and you know I believe you will do what’s best.”

As harsh as it sounded, Turin really believed Khan would see things for what they were and break it off with Kirk sooner rather than later. At least by the third stage of their plan.

The end


End file.
